SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING A FUNCTION OF PREVENTING A SOFT ERROR DUE TO ALPHA PARTICLES

摘要

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThis invention provides a semiconductor memorydevice in which soft errors due to alpha particles areprevented. The device comprises a semiconductor substrateof one conductivity type; dynamic memory cells formed onthe semiconductor substrate, each dynamic memory cellcomprising one MOS transistor and one capacitor, the MOStransistor comprising a source diffusion region and a draindiffusion region, and the capacitor operatively forminga charge storage region. The device further includes asurface layer formed on the surface of the semiconductorsubstrate which has a conduction type opposite to theconduction type of the semiconductor substrate so thata potential barrier is formed between the semiconductorsubstrate and the surface layer. With the potentialbarrier, electrons derived from eleetron-hole pairs producedin the substrate by alpha particles are interrupted fromentering into the charge storage region so that a softerror can be prevented.